In contemporary interior design, few pieces of living room furniture spawn more discussion than the purchase of a modern sofa. Owing to their size and seating capacity, modern sofas tend to be focal points in living rooms or dens, taking up sizable amounts of space and visually dominating a room, as well. Modern couches and sofas also tend to be big-ticket items in terms of expense, so for all these reasons, selecting a stylish and comfortable designer sofa can often be a painstaking process.

One way to avert unnecessary confusion about modern sofas and couches is to shop intelligently, based on your specific needs and constraints, rather than focusing on design trends and preconceived notions about what a sofa should look like.

Ideally, how many people should my modern sofa seat?

Your foremost consideration when selecting a contemporary sofa is being realistic about your seating needs. Most modern sofas and couches seat 3-4 people, and, along with other seating—lounge chair, ottomans or occasional chairs—provide adequate seating for standard living and entertaining needs. So, depending on the size of your family or how often you entertain, there should be no need for investing in extra large sofas or modern couches that accommodate more than 3-4 people—unless your home or room is so large as to render space constraints irrelevant.

Why should I choose a modern sectional over a traditional modern sofa and occasional chairs?

When shopping for designer sofas, you’ll see a broad range of styles that include elegant modern sectional sofas. Sectional sofas are, of course, considerably larger than standard sofas and modern couches, providing extra upholstered seating that makes the need for additional seating less crucial.

If you find yourself leaning towards buying a modern sectional, make sure that both the size and configuration of your room accommodates a sectional sofa comfortably—both literally and visually. One of the benefits of different types of seating is the variety and texture they add to room, so if you choose a modern sectional that makes additional seating a non-issue, make sure it’s the best option for both practical and esthetic reasons.

How comfortable should I expect my modern sofa to be?

Everyone expects a basic level of comfort from modern couches and sofas, but just how comfortable your modern sofa is depends on how you intend to use it, what your firmness preference is, and how much wear and tear it’s likely to see. There’s never a down side to choosing the world’s most comfortable sofa, and if you expect your designer sofa to act as both seating and lounging and/or sleeping, then comfort becomes paramount. But designer sofas that are stylish, thoughtfully crafted, but is perfectly comfortable enough to sit on for an hour or two shouldn’t be discounted simply on the basis of comfort alone—if it fulfills its most likely intended use.